The Reader's Digest Association
Built-in cabinets maximize storage and floor space.
Project at a glance
Skill level: Beginner
Tools: Drill, router, circular saw
Cost: About $125-$150
Built into the wall, between the studs, this unobtrusive cabinet extends only 2-1/4 inch into the room. Yet it can hold a small warehouse of supplies -- canned goods, cereal, paper towels, six-packs of soda. Or brooms, cleaning products, mops and more. And you can build it in a weekend for about $135.
Install it on an inside wall in the kitchen, bathroom, hallway or on any inside wall where you have drywall and two studs that are 16 inches on-center. The stud cavities must be free of insulation, ductwork, electrical and plumbing lines. Installing the cabinet in a plaster wall, though possible, would be trickier: Cutting plaster straight is difficult, plus you'd need to add a back to the cabinet to cover the rough plaster-and-lath back wall.
The cabinet's case and shelves are made from No. 2 pine 1×6s (actual size: 3/4 × 5-1/2 inches). There's no need to cut these pieces to width, only to length. Doors are cut from 3/4-inch MDF (medium-density fiberboard). MDF is sold by some, but not all, home centers, so call around. Almost any home center will special-order it if they don't stock it. Using plywood or particleboard for doors this long isn't recommended; both are less stable than MDF and could warp.
The step-by-step photos and descriptions provide all the information you need to build and install the cabinet. You can paint your cabinet white, both inside and out, or paint it the same color as the walls, so that it's hardly noticeable in the room.
